An early lead and a size advantage keyed the Spartans’ 32-25 victory over the fourth- and fifth-grade Terrapins in a Hoopster game on Jan. 17.

“We had a height advantage tonight that allowed us to pick up the lead,” said Spartans coach Dan Hearnen, whose squad picked up its second straight victory since the break.

The Spartans dominated the first quarter with a couple of quick baskets while fiercely defending their own goal. In the second quarter the Spartans sped up their offensive play.

Lee McMahon easily scored on an effortless post move, and a basket each from Logan Bannister and pint-sized Austin Abbott significantly pushed up the team’s point tally to 22-5.

Though the Spartans dominated the first half, they returned for the second a much less powerful team.

After many missed rebounds, the Spartans fought for control of the ball during much of the third quarter.

Roles were reversed, as it was the Terrapins who played spectacular defense and found more scoring in the third. A cunning steal by Mason Flory, after the Spartans thought they had gained control again, quickly developed into a Cole Moreano bucket mere minutes later.

McMahon joked that the Spartans would be running a lot of Jayhawk drills up and down the court in their next practice as a result of their weaker second half.

Bannister agreed, saying his team could have done better.

“I think we did really well in the first half but we could have done better in the second,” he said. “We will just keep practicing harder.”

The Spartans continued to find a hold in the final eight minutes of the game. Moreano swished in a jumper, but his reign was short lived as he sustained a hard fall on his arm, which sent him walking off the court early in the fourth. But Moreano valiantly returned to the action with 2:06 left and immediately scored.

Terrapin Mason Flory Squares up to the basket before taking a free-throw shot that helped his team battle through the second half of its match-up against the Spartans on Jan. 17. The Spartans won the game, 32-25.

With the clock running out, the Terrapins desperately tried to make up their deficit. But a free throw from Chase Taylor with 41 seconds left and a final basket wasn’t enough.

In spite of the victory the Spartans coach and players agreed that their effort in the second half is not going to be good enough come tournament time in two weeks.

“In the last two to three minutes we turned the ball over to their press,” Hearnen said. “We dribbled instead of passed and need to improve on that.”